(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to slip resistant mats of the type designed to be permanently installed on the floor surface of a bath tub or shower and operable under wet conditions to prevent slippage of a person standing on the mat.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The danger and hazard of people being injured by slipping or falling on bath tubs and similar wet slippery devices is well known. Tubs generally have a smooth floor surface rounded at the sides. When such a surface is wet, it is relatively slippery so that a user, when standing thereon or attempting to arise from a sitting position in the tub, has to be nearly perfectly balanced to avoid slipping and falling, with resultant injury.
In the prior art, two general approaches are used to prevent slipping, namely, removable mats and permanently installed appliques. A removable mat is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, its use is optional and people can and do bathe without using the mat. In a commercial environment, this increases the owner's risk of potential liability. Second, a removable mat can be stolen. Third, a removable mat is messy particularly upon removal from the tub while still wet. Water clings to the mat and drips on the floor and other nearby areas. Fourth, such a mat is commonly provided with holes that provide areas which are difficult to clean and which allow germs to breed. Fifth, sometimes water gets under the mat allowing it to shift or slip and thereby defeat the very purpose for which it is designed. Patented examples of such mats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,418,668--Anderson et al, 3,341,866--Wright and 2,822,553--Florentine.
A commonly used form of permanently installed applique employs a series of strips that are adhesively bonded to the floor surface of a tub at spaced intervals. Under heavy usage, the strips wear out relatively rapidly, the edges curl and the strips have to be replaced two or more times per year. Quite often, the replacing strips have to be set or cure for a period of from several hours to a full day, before the tub can be used. Patented examples of permanently installed slip resistant devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,124,811--Treacy and 3,836,420--Friese. Treacy discloses using a plurality of hexagonally shaped ceramic disks or elements adhesively bonded to or embedded in the floor surface. Friese discloses using one or more vinyl appliques having a water resistant adhesive backing. The appliques are ornamentally shaped and have a series of through holes providing a series of edges adapted to grip the feet of a user and prevent slipping. Particulate matter may be impregnated in the applique so as to extend above the upper surface and increase the slip resistance.